Acetylene-gas generator.



No. 640,065. Patented Dec. 26, I899.

B. H. WITZ. ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application filed Sept. 18, 1899.)

(N6 Model.)

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NITED STATES PATENT Fries.

RICHARD II. \VITZ, OF STAUNTON, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TOWILLIAM S. BURKE, OF SAME PLACE.

ACETYLEN E-GAS G EN ERATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,065, dated December26, 1899. Application filed September 18, 1899- Serial Ile- 780,918- (Nomodel.)

' generator.

The object of my invention is to provide an acetylene-gas generatorhaving the novel features of construction and improved operation ofparts hereinafter indicated, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

I have illustrated my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which'v Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus, and Fig. 2 is asectional View of one of the generators.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the gasometer, havinga bell 2, and the numeral 3 the generator, comprising in thepresentinstance three separate chambers, denoted, respectively, by thenumerals 4, 5,

and 6.

The numeral 7 indicates the pipe which affords communication between thegenerator and the gasometer for supplying the generated gas to thelatter. Oommunicating with said pipe 7 at different heights,respectively, are three branch pipes, denoted by the numerals 8, 9, and10, which communicate, respectively, with the chambers 4:, 5, and 6,entering the tops of said chambers. WVithin each of thegenerating-chambers I provide a tube 3, perforated throughout itslength, as indicated at i, said tube extending to near the top of thechamber and at its upper end having a flaring mouth 5, which isimmediately below the outlet end of the branch pipe 8, 9, or 10, as thecase may be. In the present instance the view illustrates a sectionthrough the chamber 4:, and the flaring mouth 5 is therefore indicatedas being below the branch pipe 8. These chambers are provided with amovable cover 6, whereby they may be filled or partially filled with thecarbid, which is made to surround the tube 3 As the water passes throughthe pipe 8, as more fully explained later on, it drops into the tube 3",and rising in the same passes out through the various apertures 4* andattacks the carbid surrounding the tube. tends vertically upward fromthe generator, as shown, and'then is given a downward bend, so that itwillenter the gasometer, in the bottom of the latter. In the top of thepipe 7,

leading directly from the generator, I pro-' vide an ordinary pop orother escape-valve 11, so that should the pressure of the gas in thechamber exceed the safety-point the valve 11 will be opened by suchexcessive pressure and a certain quantity of the gas allowed to escape.Supported on the lower horizontal portion of the pipe 7 is a verticalpipe 12, having at its upper enda cross-arm 13. The pipe12 is closed,however, and has no communication with the pipe 7, its purpose being toafford a stand or support for the water tank and the apparatus foroperating it.

The numeral 14 indicates the water-tank, which has secured on its top apulley-block 15. Supported from the arm 13, immediately above thewater-tank,is a second pulley-block 16. On the opposite end of thecross-bar,immediately over the bell of the generator, is secured apulley 17. Achain 18, having one end secured to the upper part of thebell 2, is passed over the pulley 17 and then through and around the twopulley-blocks l5 and 16, its opposite end being secured in a manner toafford a block-and-tackle arrangement for raising and lowering the tank14.

The numeral 19 indicates a filling-spout by means of which water may besupplied to said tank. Leading from the pipe 7, ata suitable distancebelow the lowermost branch pipe 8, is a pipe 20, which is bent downwardand is then given a vertical extension 21 to a height considerably abovethat of the highest branch pipe 10. By extending the pipe 20 downwardand then upward I afford a water seal or trap 22 therein, as will beunderstood. Connecting the vertical pipe 21 with the interior of thewater-tank 14 and at the bottom of the latter is a rubber or otherflexible tube 23, a valve 24 being provided at the connection with thewater-tank and a second valve 25 at the connection with the pipe 21. Thepipe 7 enters the bottom of the gasometer, is ex- The pipe 7 ex-fvtended a certain distance above the indicated water-level therein, andis then curved or bent, as indicated at 26, and its open end submergedin the water in the gasometer. By this arrangement the gas passingthrough the pipe 7 must issue from said pipe beneath the water in thegasometer, whereby it will be cooled and purified by its passage throughsaid water. i

The numeral 27 indicates a pipe leading from near the upper part of thegasometer downward and to the outside of the same, where it has avertical extension 28, provided with a branch pipe 29, leading to theburners or other place of consumption. Above the point of connection ofthe branch pipe 29 with the pipe 28 I provide a safety escapevalve 30,which is operated by the following mechanism: Secured on the stem ofvalve 30 is a rod 31, having secured on opposite ends, respectively,chains 32, to the lower end of each of which is secured a weight, saidweights being denoted, respectively, by the numerals 33 34. The weight33 is heavier than the weight 34 and operates normally to hold the valve30 in a closed position. Said weight 33 is suspended immediately abovethe bell of the gasometer, and the length of the chain 32 supporting itis so adjusted that should the bell of the gasometer rise beyond thepoint denoting the limit of pressure to which it is safe to subject thegasometer it will raise the weight 33, and the weight 34 will then drawthe end of the rod 31 to which its chain is attached downward, therebyopening valve 30 and allowing the gas to escape from the gasometer untilthe normal pressure has been restored. The escape-pipe is denoted by thenumeral 35 and would of course lead outside of the building within whichthe generator might be stationed.

The operation of generating gas is as follows: The bell 2 being in itslowest position and initially, the tank 14 is filled with water throughthe spout 19, the valves 24 and 25 being open. The water immediatelypasses through the flexible pipe 23 and pipes 21 and 20 into the pipe 7,and rising in said pipe will pass through the branch pipe 8 into thegencrating-chamber 4. As the water attacks the carbid gas is immediatelygenerated and will pass upward through the pipe 8 into the pipe 7 andthence to the gasometer. As the gas continues to flow into the gasometerthe bell thereof will rise, slacking the chain 18 more and more andallowing the tank 14 to fall lower and lower until finally it reachesapoint below the point of connection of flexible pipe 23 with the pipe21, when the flow of water to the generator will be cut 01f. As the gasis consumed the bell 2 will descend, drawing the chain 18 through thepulley 17 and the pulley-blocks 15 and 16, thereby raising the tank 14and allowing the Water again to pass through the pipes described to thegenerator. Should the previous supply of water have been insufficient toslake all of the carbid in the chamber 4, the water passing into saidchamber will again start a fresh generation of gas, as before; but whenall the carbid in the chamber 4 has been slaked the water will fill saidchamber, rise through the branch pipe 8 and into the pipe 7, in which itwill rise and pass into the branch pipe 9 and thence to thegenerating-chamber 5, when the operation first described will'ensue.After all the carbid in the generating-chamber 5 has been slaked thesaid chamber will next be filled with water, and the water will thenrise in the pipe 7 and pass into the branch pipe 10 to thegenerating-chamber 6. Back pressure of the gas through the pipes 20 21is prevented by the water seal or trap 22. When it is desired to closecommunication between the generator and the water-tank, either of valves24 or 25 may be closed, or should a leak be discoveredin the pipe 23both of said valves may be closed for the purpose of renewing said pipe.

As a further improvement I continue the pipe 21 beyond the point ofconnection therewith of the flexible pipe 23, as indicated by thenumeral 36, such pipe leading to the outer air and affordinga blow-offpipe from the generator, and by admitting air to pipe 21 permitting themore ready flow of the water therethrough to the generator.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new is 1. Inan acetylene-gas generator, the combination with the gasometer and thegenera tor, of a main pipe leading upward from the generator having itsouter end provided with a safety escape-valve, a branch pipe connect edwith said main pipe at a point below the safety-valve and leading intothe gasometer, a support, a hoisting apparatus mounted on said supportand operated through the movements of the bell of the gasometer, awatertank suspended from said hoisting apparatus, a pipe leading fromthe generator having a trap and a vertical extension leading to theouter air, and a flexible tube afiording communication between saidvertically-extending pipe and said Water-tank and connected to thevertically-extending pipe at a point intermediate its ends,substantially as described.

2. In an acetylene-gas generator, the combination with the gasometer ofa generator comprising a series of independent generating-chambers, amain pipe leading upward from the generator and having at its outer enda safety escape-valve and a branch pipe leading from said main pipe intothe gasometer, a series of branch pipes communicating with said mainpipe at successively different heights, and leading into the respectivegenerating-chambers, a pipe leading from said main pipe at a point belowthe lowermost of said branch pipes and having a trap and a verticalextension leading to the outer IIO izo

air, a support, hoisting mechanism mounted In testimony whereof I havehereunto set thereon and operatively connected with the my hand inpresence of two subscribing witbell of the gasometer, a water-tanksuspended nesses.

from said hoisting mechanism and a flexible RICHARD H. WVITZ. 5 tubeconnecting the water-tank with said ver- Witnesses:

tically-extending pipe, substantially as de- JAMES L. NORRIS,

scribed. GEO. W. REA.

